From bytes to bricks: how AI is turning the property world on its head – a conversation with Nida Kizilaslan, Head of Software Development

IT&I: Nida, why don’t you tell us how you came to PROMOS and ultimately to AI?

Nida Kizilaslan: Sure, of course! About ten years ago, I was studying computer science in Kassel. During my studies, I was looking for a position as a working student and came across PROMOS. I quickly got a job and entered the world of SAP®. That was still new territory for me back then. My first projects were with a communications company where we implemented a craftsman portal. I then switched to developing mobile applications. Over time, I took on more responsibility, eventually became a team leader and am now in charge of Software Development. My interest in AI has arisen as a result of both my role and developments in the market.

IT&I: That sounds like a natural progression. What are your main tasks as Head of Software Development and how does your role fit in with your expertise in AI?

Nida: I evaluate new technologies and frameworks in order to constantly expand and improve our portfolio of solutions. In addition to my work at PROMOS, I am also a big fan of experimenting with the latest IT innovations in my private life. Thanks to the close collaboration and shared interest within the team, we have been able to make significant progress towards artificial intelligence. One highlight, for example, was the hackathon we organised – a complete success that not only gave us valuable practical experience in the field of AI, but also brought the team closer together.

IT&I: Sounds exciting! Let’s talk about AI in general. Which current developments in the field of artificial intelligence do you find particularly important?

Nida: For me, AI encompasses everything that enables machines to take over tasks that were previously carried out by humans. I’m not just thinking about generative AI, which is currently attracting a lot of attention, but also technologies such as machine learning. I find the ability of generative AI to recognise and generate out-of-context content or conduct dialogues particularly interesting. This is the area that is currently gaining the most importance.

IT&I: So AI that anyone can use?

Nida: Exactly. The aim is to make AI accessible for various applications and offer a broad range of benefits.

IT&I: How is AI currently being used in the property sector? Are there any applications or trends that you find particularly promising?

Nida: Absolutely, there are many use cases. One large area is the processing of unstructured content such as e-mails and letters. In the property industry, where a lot of communication takes place, this offers enormous added value. There are also applications such as chatbots and voice bots that improve customer service. It’s important to analyse precisely where AI really adds value, where it still has potential for optimisation or where its use is not really appropriate.

IT&I: We currently have a pilot project with ProPotsdam in which AI takes over the processing of incoming e-mails. What do you think are the benefits of this project and what results do you expect?

Nida: I see many advantages here. What I particularly like is our approach: we’ve defined clear goals, but at the same time we haven’t gone through any long planning phases. Instead, we’ve implemented topics selectively in order to quickly gain experience and approach the subject. ProPotsdam is very open and dynamic when it comes to implementation. This has already enabled us to identify specific use cases and successfully drive the pilot project forward. This not only enables us to improve the efficiency of e-mail processing in the long term, but also to further increase customer and tenant satisfaction.

IT&I: Are there any challenges or risks when using AI in the property sector?

Nida: Yes, a major risk could be a generally defensive attitude towards AI. A colleague once said that it’s like Google back in the day – nowadays it’s impossible to imagine doing without it. It will be the same with AI. If you don’t tackle it now, you could fall behind later. On the other hand, you have to think carefully about where you use AI to ensure that you really create added value and don’t just implement it for the sake of having technology.

IT&I: This could be a challenge, especially in a more traditional sector like the property industry.

Nida: Exactly. It’s important that the sector quickly gets to grips with the possibilities of AI in order to utilise its great potential. Small, targeted steps can often achieve more here than large, comprehensive plans, especially when it comes to creating acceptance and recognising potential.

IT&I: How do you see the future of AI in the property sector? What developments and trends do you expect to see in the coming years?

Nida: In the coming years, we will certainly see many new applications of AI in the property industry. There are many processes that have not been optimised for a long time and now offer enormous potential. I see great opportunities in the area of invoice digitalisation in particular. Here, AI can help to react flexibly to changes in invoice formats and thus significantly reduce the effort required for customisation. Overall, I believe that targeted AI deployments can bring many benefits without the need to change everything at once.

IT&I: That sounds very promising. How exactly will AI play a role in the digitalisation of invoices?

Nida: Previously, each field of a digital invoice had to be precisely defined and mapped into a target structure. Changes to the format then required major adjustments. With AI, we can recognise these changes automatically and have the adjustments made for us. This eliminates the need for manual reworking. We can also use AI to process invoices that deviate from the standards. Content can be extracted flexibly without having to rely strictly on predefined structures.

IT&I: Impressive! Finally, what personal insights or technologies in the field of AI excite you the most?

Nida: I find the advances in image generation and dialogue particularly fascinating. It’s amazing how realistic AI-generated images and conversations have become. You can hardly tell anymore whether a person is real or has been created by the AI. The integration of various input channels such as camera and voice into dialogue systems is also impressive. However, we must also be careful and ensure that AI-generated content is clearly labelled as such.

IT&I: That really does sound exciting! Finally, what advice would you give to companies that are just starting out with AI?

Nida: My advice would be to think carefully about where AI can be used sensibly to create real added value and then simply get started. It’s important to take small, targeted steps and gain experience quickly. This makes it easier to recognise what AI can do and how it can be used effectively without getting lost in major planning phases.

IT&I: Just get started and proceed intelligently – that sounds like a good strategy. Is there anything else you would like to pass on to our readers?

Nida: I think that covers all the important aspects. The questions have shed a lot of light on the topic and I hope that our insights are helpful.

IT&I: Absolutely. Thank you very much for the interesting interview and your valuable insights, Nida.

Nida: My pleasure. Thank you, too.

redaktion@openpromos.de